


Orannus' Prologue on Balmorra

by Carter_Ash_Official



Series: Trooper Tales [1]
Category: swtor - Fandom
Genre: Balmorra, Colicoids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-29
Updated: 2016-11-29
Packaged: 2018-09-03 00:31:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8689579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carter_Ash_Official/pseuds/Carter_Ash_Official
Summary: Orannus Hallow's Pre-Ord Mantell story, on how he was assigned to Havoc.





	

_Do do do do… Bum bum bum… my achy breaky heart…. Oh, my achy-_

Orannus hummed along and aimed at the Colicoid. He fired.

_My achy breaky heart._

“Stop humming!” Lissa smacked the back of his head. “They’ll hear.”

“They’d be running away if they could hear me sing.” Orannus grinned at her. “It’s the only thing I can’t do.”

“Uh-huh.” The Mirialan rolled her eyes.

“I promise.”

“Promise, huh?” Lissa eyed him playfully. “So you can do anything else?”

_Oh no._ “Um… What do you have in mind?”

“Oh, well, Sergeant Hallow,” she purred. “I want me, you, and a bottle of whiskey in the officer’s lounge tonight. And I want you to show me _everything_ you can do.”

Orannus aimed at another bug. “Sergeant Moll, are you _suggesting_ we break into the officer’s lounge?” he asked loftily.

She flicked her ponytail over her shoulder and leaned in close. Her eyes seemed darker. “I’m suggesting we do more than break in.”

He pulled the trigger. And missed the bug. His focus was somewhere else. “Moll-”

“SERGEANTS!”

Orannus jumped about a foot in the air. Lissa didn’t flinch. Stars and moons, that woman was impossible to sneak up on. Ears like a Cathar’s and, even if she didn’t admit it, Orannus would bet half his next paycheck she had some sort of tie to the Force.

The shouter, Captain Ditnerr looked like he’d stepped in bantha fodder. That was to say, pissed. The Zabrak captain’s usual expression.

“Sir!” Lissa snapped him a salute, flirty look no longer on her face.

Orannus followed, a lot slower and a lot less refined. Ditnerr was an ass. Fact, not opinion. Everyone knew. It was why he was still a Captain and hadn’t been promoted in ten years.

The captain glared specifically at him. “Hallow. Do I need to file harassment charges against you?”

_What now?_

“Sir?”

“You got a thing for Sergeant Moll here, Hallow?”

_Oh, you bet._

Orannus swallowed and squinted in the sun. “No, Sir.”

_I could use a hat._

“Sergeant Moll, is Hallow bothering you?”

Lissa gave him a professionally flat look. “Not in the least, Captain.”

Ditnerr frowned more than usual as he glowered between the two of them. “Fine. Moll, Hallow, you’re taking a squad of privates on patrol,” he spat, and Orannus winced at his tone.

Even Lissa looked unsure. “Sir?”

“Fresh from basic training.” The captain looked positively livid. “Colonel’s orders. Why he’s sending Sergeants, I don’t know, but I told him not you two. So he insisted.” He turned and left them.

_Cursing your boss doesn’t work, Dit, I’ve been doing it for years. You’re still here._

“I don’t like this. Us, taking Privates? Shouldn’t they be with more experienced soldiers?” Lissa muttered darkly. “What’s the Colonel thinking now?”

“Come on, you’ve got me, how bad can it be? Just have to show the little Privates what to do then we’re good.” Orannus slung his rifle over his shoulder and headed towards the main base. “Besides,” he drawled. “I’ve got a hot date to look forward to tonight.”

She let out a bark of laughter. “Oh, do you?”

“Yeah.” Orannus winked. “How bad can it be?”

* * *

Orannus eyed the privates. They were a small group, both in size and appearance. All alien. Time to show them who was boss.

“Attention!”

The…

_One, two…. Eight._

The eight of them stiffened and flicked their hands up in salute.

Orannus had to give them credit, they only looked marginally terrified. He grinned at them. “Howdy.”

Lissa snorted behind him. “At ease.” She stepped forward. "I’m Sergeant Moll, this is Sergeant Hallow. Gather your gear. We’re going on patrol in five minutes.” She narrowed her eyes. “If you aren’t ready when we leave, you’re on latrine duty. One week for every minute late.”

Orannus plastered on a smile. “Dismissed.”

_I’ll play the nice friendly guy. Get the good gossip._

The privates scattered.

Lissa glanced at him over her shoulder. “Are you taking this seriously?”

“I figured you can be the tough scary leader and I’ll be the fun one.”

“You don’t want the responsibility.”

“I like it in small doses.” Orannus ran his hand through his hair. “And I like it when you get all official.”

Her cheeks turned a darker green. “I like it when you know there’s a time and place for this flirting.”

“Who’s going to tell?” He gave her a charming smile. “You didn’t have a problem with me flirting while we were taking target practice on the ‘Coids.”

“There wasn’t anyone to overhear.” Lissa glanced around the room. “I heard they’re looking for someone to promote. I could use the credits.”

“Couldn’t we all.”

“Not all of us come from a rich noble family.”

Orannus scratched the back of his head. “They’ve… disowned me,” he fibbed.

_I mean I can assume that, right? They haven’t called me in five years._

Lissa looked at him with pity. “I’m sorry.”

He shrugged. “Let’s just say there’s certain perks to the military.” He looked over at the privates clustered together a few feet away. “Colicoids aren’t one.” Orannus spoke to the soldiers. “Ready?”

A few nodded or mumbled “Yes, Sir.”

Lissa crossed her arms. “Head out to the transport, Soldiers. We got work.”

* * *

“Sir?” One of the privates, a Zabrak, was staring at him, lopsided grin and charm in his eyes. “Permission to speak candidly?”

Orannus raised his eyebrows, bemused. “Sure?”

“You’re one good-lookin’ man,” the private stated.

The girl on his left tried to hide her giggles. “Als, you-”

“Thank you,” Orannus interrupted. He gave the private a quick look over. “You’re not too shabby yourself. But flirting like this, well…” he glanced up the row of soldiers to Lissa. “You should do it in private, Private.” He winked. “And I’m a Sergeant, I can’t give promotions, or I would’ve promoted myself long ago.”

The Zabrak blushed. “Oh, so…”

“Another time, Private.”

A Rodian Private glared at him with distaste. She turned to say something to the Rattataki on her right.

_I didn’t flirt back even though I wanted to. You’ve got nothing to report._

The dropship slowed.

Orannus nodded to Lissa, and pushed open the door. The ship sunk closer to the ground until the pilot waved at them. Orannus grabbed the nearest rope and swung down, landing with a thud.

The privates and Lissa joined him.

“I’ll take point.” Lissa pulled her rifle around and started off towards the nests. The privates fanned out behind her, Orannus bring up the rear.

_Bum… Bum… Achy breaky heart…._

Something wasn’t right.

No Colicoids coming out to greet them.

“Moll!” Orannus jogged up to her. “Do you see any bugs?”

She scanned the hills. “No. Those bastards are probably hiding.”

“What about their scouts?”

“They’re bugs, Hallow.” Lissa gave him a sidelong look. “Do you want to take point?”

“No.”

“Then drop back, Caboose.”

“I like it when you order me around like that.” Orannus nodded at her and waited until the majority of the privates had passed him.

_Did the resistance come through without telling us?_

_….Achy Breaky heart…. Do do do….._

The cute Zabrak private gave him a teasing glance over his shoulder.

_Sorry, pal, but I don’t think Lissa likes to share… maybe in a few days when we’re on different patrols…_

_Is that a shadow?_

Orannus circled around nest, finger on the trigger.

_Come out, come out, you smelly bug. Orannus’ got a surprise for you._

Nothing.

He rejoined the squad, his nerves on edge and scanning the nests. “Moll, this doesn’t look good.”

She grabbed him by the arm and pulled him aside. “Yeah? Then we make the best of it. There’s no bugs, we can show them the tracks and other signs,” she hissed. “I’m not putting in a call to command that we want out because there’s no bugs for a training mission.”

Orannus shook his head. “Fine.” He watched the privates clustered together. “Seven.”

“What?” Lissa’s voice had gone flat.

“There’s eight privates. Now there’s seven.”

“Fuck!” Lissa lifted her rifle back to firing height. “Privates! Defense formation. Who’s missing?”

Orannus knew. “The Rodian girl.”

“Piery?” The cute Zabrak offered.

“Sure.” Orannus didn’t know her name. “Where was she last?”

Lissa sounded upset. “You were the rear officer. You tell us.”

_Oh boy._

“I went to check out a shadow.”

“Yours?”

Orannus didn’t rise to the bait. “We need to call the base.”

“No we don’t! We can handle this!”

“Is your promotion worth a Private’s life?” He got in Lissa’s face, staring her hard in the eye and speaking in low tones so the Privates couldn’t hear his accusation. “I will file a report if that’s the case.”

“Oh, please, like you’ve never done anything like that. I read your file on your first mission. Is this any different?”

He sighed, disgusted. “You know, I think I’m spending tonight in my bunk. I don’t really like this you.”

“Or you’ll be with someone else you’ve charmed.”

“I’ve got talent.”

“Not a talent for the military,” Lissa spat. She spoke louder, for the Privates to hear. “We’re splitting up. You four, with Hallow. Rest of you with me. Meet back at the drop point in one hour. We need to find Piery.”

The Privates split up and four stepped towards him.

Orannus grimaced at his charges. “Keep close. Something isn’t right.”

They nodded, fear in their eyes.

“Let’s go.” He led them east, around a nest. “Watch for footprints- Hold.”

_This isn’t…_

_Please be a resistance fighter that’s stolen Imp boots._

The bootprint was standard Imperial issue. The treads were worn on the left side, the heel heavily rubbed off. Next to it was a kicked up trail of mud and Colicoid waste. Someone had been struggling to get away from the boot’s owners.

Orannus resigned himself to the worst and crept forward, rifle at the ready.

One of the Privates squeaked when they rounded the corner.

_Oh, no._

Private Piery’s body was there. She’d been shot in the back of the head, left in the middle of a clearing like a piece of forgotten trash.

Orannus stopped the Zabrack Private from going any closer. “Don’t.”

“Sir!”

_Why’s she out in the open like that?_

“Behind me. All of you, now. Back, back, back!” He squinted at a faint red flicker under her body. It was almost hidden in the mud. Orannus steeled himself, selected a rock, and chucked it at Piery’s body.

“Sir! That’s-”

The protest was cut off with an explosion.

Orannus turned and pushed the Privates back towards the way they’d come. “GO! DROPZONE!”

Something tore at his leg.

He didn’t think, he pulled his vibroknife from his inner-arm sheath and spun, gutting the Imp soldier with a vibroblade.

They were surrounded.

He pitched a sticky grenade at the Imp closing in on the Zabrak, and ducked under an armor-piercing shot. Orannus jabbed the butt of his rifle into the shooter’s exposed neck.

The soldier fell.

So did one of the Privates. The Rattataki’s neck was a bloody mess.

A Chiss Imp soldier stomped over the body and advanced towards Orannus. She lunged with her electro-staff and snarled at him.

He stepped to his left and fired an ion pulse at her, shorting out the staff’s power source.

The soldier froze.

Orannus fired at her, and switched his rifle to the heavy-fire setting.

The next soldier that charged him got blasted back into a nest.

Where apparently there was another pressure-sensitive bomb.

Colicoid egg goop rained down on the remaining Privates and Orannus.

The world fell silent.

“Sir?”

The Zabrak Private stared at him, orange eyes huge. There was a steaming hole in his armor over his heart.

“Hey!” Orannus caught him. “MEDIC!”

The other privates didn’t move.

The Zabrak blinked slowly. Then…

_I’m sorry._

Orannus closed the Private’s unseeing eyes and gently lowered him. “Stay close,” he uttered to his last two soldiers.

The two Privates didn’t need to be told. They were two inches away from hugging him.

He didn’t mind it.

There was security in numbers.

“We need to find Moll. Get with her. Radio for back-up or call for pick-up.” Orannus raised his rifle and checked around another nest. “This was an ambush.”

A blast came from across the clearing, and smoke rose up in a pillar, the wind it rolling towards them.

A woman’s figure appeared nearby.

“Moll!”

She turned towards them.

The Private on his left rushed towards her.

A flash of orange, and he tumbled back, a crater in his forehead. Dead.

Not Lissa.

Orannus fired at the figure.

She fell.

“This way,” he muttered, and dragged the last Private with him around a different nest. Orannus pushed down the urge to just abandon everything and just sprint away until his legs stopped working. This Private needed him. “You okay?”

Her bottom lip was trembling. “Yes, Sir.”

_No, you’re not. Neither am I._

“Good. We need to get to the drop zone.”

She nodded.

Another blast echoed to them, followed with Lissa bellowing orders and the sound of blasterfire.

The Private stared up at him, eyes wide.

“Ready?”

“Yes, Sir.”

Orannus leapt around the nest and barreled towards the fighting, boots kicking up mud. Behind him was the squelching sound of the Private following him. He saw Imps and changed course. He flicked a sticky grenade at the soldier and blasted another one back into others.

He adjusted his grip on his rifle and rained heavy fire down onto them until all that was left was scorched.

Lissa screamed.

He waded through dead bodies towards her.

She was covered in blood and her arm… Orannus’ last Private was by her side and crying as she fought.

Lissa kicked out and knocked the blaster from the Imperial officer’s hand. He parried her next kick and knocked her flat on her back.

Orannus aimed and fired at him.

The officer fell.

He knelt and pulled Lissa into his arms. “Cover us.”

The Private nodded, eyes scanning the smoke.

“I… I called for the drop-ship,” Lissa muttered. “Damn Imps.”

He could get mad later. “I got you.”

“I can walk, Hallow, put me down.” Lissa tried to smack him with the stump of her arm. She caught sight of it. “My… my… my…” She screamed.

The Private gulped. “Sir, there’s…. things.”

He looked up and wished he hadn’t. “Those are Colicoids. Now’s when we run.” Orannus turned and sprinted towards the dropship landing area. All the action must have called them to the surface. And, probably the main reason, the exploding nests.

Lissa didn’t make it easy, she was screaming in his arms, drawing the Colicoids to them. The Private was tossing grenades over her shoulder.

_They’re getting closer._

The whine of engines overhead spurred him on.

_The dropship!_

Orannus kept up his sprint, forcing his legs to keep carrying him.

The Private lagged behind him.

The dropship’s door slid open, showing him medics waiting with open arms.

“HALLOW! SIR!” The Private screamed.

He stopped and turned.

She’d been hit by Colicoid spit. The acidic poison was burning a hole into her boot.

“SIR!”

He couldn’t. Lissa was in his arms, he was too far away, the bugs were too close-

Orannus watched in horror as the Colicoids descended on her.

_I’m sorry._

“SERGEANT!”

The medics’ shouts torn him away. Orannus numbly handed Lissa to them and let one of them secure him into a seat. The dropship rose.

_Eight bodies are down there._

“Hallow!”

Ditnerr’s face swam into view. For once he didn’t look like he was pissed, he was pale and concerned.

“Sir,” Orannus said flatly.

The Captian watched him for a moment, then passed him a flask. “Here.”

Orannus took a pull.

“Have another. You look like you need it.”

He did.

Ditnerr took his flask back and finished it off. He leaned forward in his seat and clasped his hands together, watching Lissa on the floor as the medics buzzed over her. “What _happened_?”

“There weren’t any Colicoids, Sir. I thought it was suspicious. Moll insisted we go on. Private Piery was separated from the squad. We split up to find her. Imps ambushed us.”

The words sounded hollow.

Captain Ditnerr seemed know that he couldn’t say more. “You did good.”

_They’re dead._

Lissa let out a scream next to them.

Orannus stared at the durasteel across from him and listened to the hum of the engines. His seat was vibrating with them. Colicoid guts were cooling on his scalp. There was a tingling in his left leg.

* * *

“What am I going to do with you?” Major Madine challenged Lissa with a glare. She kept her face still and stood with her spine a little too straight. Her new cybernetic hand twitched behind her back. He flicked his gaze to Orannus.

He held his breath and pretended he wasn’t thinking about discreetly scratching the scabbed slice on his calf.

Major Madine turned back to Lissa. “You were aware that Sergeant Hallow thought the situation was possibly dangerous.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“And instead of radioing in Command or going back to the dropship, you continued on under your own advisement.”

Lissa pursed her lips. “Yes, Sir. I thought it would be a good time to show the Privates signs of a Colicoid hive without having to worry about being attacked.”

Major Madine knitted his fingers together on his desk. “Why were you not cautious?”

“I thought it would be an advantage without Colicoids, Sir, and-”

“Sergeant Moll. Why did you not consider Sergeant Hallow’s intuition? There’s no charges of reckless behavior in your file. You’ve got multiple glowing reports from C.O.s that you are calm, level-headed, and professional. Why?” he spat.

Lissa didn’t answer.

_That promotion._

Major Madine stood up and crossed his arms, eyes flashing. “Sergeant.”

Silence.

He changed tact. “Sergeant Hallow.”

_Shit, that’s me._

“Sir.”

“I’m recommending you for promotion. You knew the situation was dangerous and you spoke up. You fought well. Showed bravery and didn’t run. If you hadn’t been there, Sergeant Moll would have lost more than her hand.” Major Madine gave him a hard look. “You’re being transferred to Ord Mantell.”

The Major faced Lissa.

“You’re demoted, Moll, to Corporal, for reckless endangerment and not using good judgement.”

“Sir!” she protested.

Major Madine didn’t acknowledge her. “You ship out tomorrow, Sergeant. A file will be forwarded to you on your new assignment.” He nodded at them. “Dismissed.”

Orannus saluted him and followed Lissa out of the office.

Her boots clacked against the floor as she stalked down the hallway. Her shoulders were tight and every movement controlled.

“Lissa-“

She spun and her new hand clamped around his neck. “You bastard.”

“Lissa.”

He couldn’t breathe.

“You know I wanted that promotion. You don’t need it, you’ve got rich folks and a title back home. And you hate responsibility, hate working and taking things seriously and you don’t care, you just smiled to Madine and didn’t tell him that deserved that promotion. Not you.” She released him and backed up, furious tears in her eyes. “Me. You’re a bastard. And it’s _Corporal_ Moll.”

She twirled on her heel and stomped away.

“Oh, and Hallow?”

He looked up from massaging his neck.

“Next time I see you on the battlefield, I wouldn’t save you even if it meant I’d be a General. Rot in hell.”

Orannus watched her leave.

_Ord Mantell can’t be worse, right?_


End file.
